1 Utility Company Gives Clean Coal a Shot

It's been talked about for a while, but Duke Energy is putting clean coal to the test

You may have heard the term clean coal before, and it has probably led to a debate as to whether or not it is even possible. Up until now, the debate has been rather theoretical, but Duke Energy(NYSE:DUK) is putting it to the test. Duke just announced that it has brought a 618 megawatt coal gasification plant in Indiana on line. The facility will emit 70% less EPA-regulated pollutants, and 50% less carbon dioxide per megawatt produced, in comparison to a traditional coal facility.

Reductions in pollutants like these could allow coal to compete with natural gas as a cleaner alternative to the way we generate electricity today, and could prove to be the life preserver the domestic coal industry will need for the future. In this video, Fool.com contributors Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy look at how this new facility could change the game for the domestic coal market and what it could mean for coal producers.